Thursday, June 13, 2013

Eye Contact

A little off topic but well worth the read.

A couple weeks ago I went to CVS to pick up some items I needed. This shopping center can be a pain in my... side, sometimes with horrible parking and just not is a great neighborhood, but it's conveniently close to my place of business. I had to park on the street this time which is a good little walk to the doors for CVS, and of course I had to wear my killer heels and a cute little skirt and navy blue shirt combo that day.

While I was in the store checking out the bajillion different kinds of congestion relief, I noticed a male a little ways down my isle that was walking away from the store when I was walking in. Anyone else think that's odd? I kept shopping and decided to move to the "Feminine Hygiene" isle to see if he'd follow. He didn't follow but continued to glance in my direction discreetly.

I finished up and paid at the pharmacy since that stuff is regulated and blah, blah, blah. On my way to the front doors I kept an eye on this guy from one row over, who was looking at shampoo and conditioner... for his harry bald head... Yes! Noticing this when I got to the end of the isle to head to the door I looked back to notice he was heading for the front door now too! I quickly turned around and walked back to the other end of the isle and did what he was doing. I pretended to look at something on the shelves while glancing up he had turned around himself and had gone back to the shampoo, for his harry bald head...

At this point in time I should have gone to the cash register and asked for an escort out to my car since I had a little ways to in these killer heels. But I didn't. I decided to make a quick dash for the door. Right before I got to the door I turned around clutching my purse on my shoulder. I stopped, stared directly at this guy (who was once again walking towards to door along with me) until he glanced up and made eye contact with me. He quickly looked away and then casually looked back at me while I stood there still, staring at him from about 15 feet away. As he turned around to look at an end cap I made the quick dash for the door and towards the street to my car continuously looking back. A little over half way to my car the guy walked out of the store heading the same way I saw him when I first walked into the store. Away from it, towards the street.

Thinking back I should have asked for a store manager to escort me to my car. I should have called the police and reported his suspicious activity, but I didn't. I should have and will the next time something like this happens.

The message I want everyone to get out of this story is to always be aware of your surroundings, don't be afraid to make eye contact, and be smart when you notice something suspicious. This guy was following me, I have no doubt of that and no, it wasn't a paranoid or narcissistic notion. This guy had intentions for me, what? I don't know, but what if I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings and had my head buried in my phone, who knows how that would have turned out.